*** court blocks signing of Chagos Islands deal at last minute – Reuters
*** court blocks signing of Chagos Islands deal at last minute – Reuters
*** court blocks signing of Chagos Islands deal at last minute ReutersChagos deal paused by last-minute legal action BBCA deal on the disputed Chagos Islands faces more hurdles. Here’s what to know ClickOnDetroitBritain’s plan to transfer Chagos Islands blocked by last-minute legal injunction CNNUK set to sign Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius Financial Times
Source link
#court #blocks #signing #Chagos #Islands #deal #minute #Reuters
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Duck Detective: The Ghost Of Glamping (Switch) -A Quacking Little Mystery | NintendoLife
Duck Detective: The Ghost Of Glamping (Switch) -A Quacking Little Mystery | NintendoLife
“You’ll easily polish it off in an evening, and you’ll feel all the better for it. Happy Broccoli has once again pulled together a simple yet satisfying mystery that brings plenty of smiles and a handful of surprises. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got to don our fedoras and go deliver a brooding speech in the rain.” – Jim Norman | NintendoLife
Source link
#Duck #Detective #Ghost #Glamping #Switch #Quacking #Mystery #NintendoLife
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Off Target: Retailer Misses Estimates as Stock Plummets
Off Target: Retailer Misses Estimates as Stock Plummets
The big red bullseye proved difficult to hit in the first quarter for mega retailer Target (NYSE:) as the company missed both revenue and earnings projections by a significant margin.
And the outlook is not much better, causing the stock to plummet about 6% on Wednesday, down to around $92 per share. Target stock is down a whopping 32% year-to-date.
Net sales for the quarter were $23.8 billion, down 2.8% from the same quarter a year ago. This fell short of estimates calling for $24.35 billion in revenue.
Net earnings were $1.04 billion, up 10% year-over-year, while earnings were $2.27 per share, up 11.7%. Adjusted earnings, which exclude gains from litigation settlements, were $1.30 per share, down 36% year-over-year. This missed estimates by a wide margin, as analysts had expected earnings of $1.65 per share.
“In the first quarter, our team and our business faced an exceptionally challenging environment that affected our performance with declines in both traffic and sales, most notably in our discretionary categories,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said. “For several years now, we’ve seen pressure in our discretionary businesses, as spending adjusted down from elevated levels during the pandemic and then moved further away in the face of historically high inflation in needs-based categories.”
But there were other issues that impacted Target, as well.
Some Bright Spots
It was not all bad for Target, as the big box chain had some bright spots. One of them was the growth in its e-commerce channel. Digital comparable store sales jumped 4.7% in the quarter, led by 35% growth in same-day delivery via its Target Circle 360 program.
However, that was not enough to offset a 5.7% decrease in comparable store sales outside of digital. Overall, comparable store sales fell 3.8% in the quarter.
Another bright spot was expense discipline, as SG&A expenses dropped 10.8% in the quarter. But even when excluding one-time items related to litigation, it only grew 1%. Also, cost of sales dropped 2% in the quarter to $17.1 billion. Further, Target was able to shrink its inventory with markdowns on goods, which may have hurt profit in Q1 but should benefit the company in the second half of the year, said COO Michael Fidelke on the earnings call.
That said, Target faced major headwinds from five months of declining consumer confidence, uncertainty about tariffs, and boycotts related to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program.
Target Lowers its Guidance
The big question facing retailers, among others, is how the tariffs will impact their business. Based on Target lowering its revenue and earnings guidance for the fiscal year, it is clearly going to have an effect.
Target now expects low-single-digit net sales declines for the fiscal year, down from the previous guidance of 1% growth.
GAAP earnings are targeted to fall between $8 and $10 per share, while adjusted earnings are expected to be approximately $7 and $9 per share. The company had previously projected both GAAP and adjusted EPS to be between $8.80 to $9.80 per share.
“The merchandising team has been working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of tariffs,” Cornell said on the earnings call. “And the difficulty level has been incredibly high, given the magnitude of the rates we’re facing and a high degree of uncertainty on how these rates and impacted categories might evolve.”
Mitigating Tariff Exposure
Target is employing several strategies to mitigate the impact of tariffs, with raising prices being the last resort.
“Our strategy is to remain price competitive by leveraging the capabilities, long-standing relationships, and the scale that set us apart from many of our retail peers,” the CEO said.
Those strategies include negotiating with its vendor, reevaluating assortment decisions, changing the country of production where possible, adjusting order timing, and where necessary, prices.
Rick Gomez, Target’s chief commercial officer, said these efforts will offset the “vast majority of the incremental tariff exposure.”
Target has a median price target of $111 per share, which suggests a 17% return, but Barclays just lowered its expectations to $102 per share. The stock is very cheap, trading at 11 times earnings, so it might be worth a look after this dip. But don’t look for much short-term growth, as it would be more of a long-term play.
Original Post
Source link
#Target #Retailer #Misses #Estimates #Stock #Plummets
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades
Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades
National Science Foundation grant funding through May 21
10-year average
$2 billion
The National Science Foundation, which funds much of the fundamental scientific research at American universities, is awarding new grants at the slowest pace in at least 35 years.
The funding decreases touch virtually every area of science — extending far beyond the diversity programs and other “woke” targets that the Trump administration says it wants to cut.
Grants funded by the National Science Foundation through May 21 ↓ 51%
2015-2024 average $2 billion In 2025 $989 million
Math, physics and chemistry
$432m
The chart shows the intended funding amount for new grants awarded by the N.S.F. during the 2025 calendar year through May 21, compared with the average funding for the same ******* from 2015 to 2024. In 2025 dollars.
Source: N.S.F.
That means less support for early-stage research that underpins future technological advancements — and American competitiveness — in areas like computer science and engineering; physics and chemistry; climate science and weather forecasting; and materials and manufacturing innovations.
It also means less money for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career professors — potentially disrupting the nation’s future scientific work force.
Economists have warned that cutting federal funding for scientific research could, in the long run, damage the U.S. economy by an amount equivalent to a major recession.
“These cuts are the height of self-inflicted harm,” said Robert Atkinson, the president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonpartisan science and technology policy research institute. The foundation has argued that China probably already conducts more research and development than the United States.
“If they succeed in these cuts, the result will be slower economic growth, less innovation and new tech startups, and even more diminished competitiveness vis-à-vis China,” he added.
The lag in this year’s funding, more than $1 billion below the 10-year average, is for new research grants, but the Trump administration has gone further. It has also terminated more than 1,600 active grants for existing research projects, together worth roughly $1.5 billion (of which at least 40 percent has already been spent).
And it wants to eliminate nearly $5 billion of the agency’s $9 billion budget for next year, cutting spending on “climate; clean energy; woke social, behavioral and economic sciences,” and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Among the in-progress grants that have been terminated, those focused on education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, accounted for the vast majority of the canceled funding. Many of these grants focused on broadening participation in science and engineering among underrepresented student groups.
Canceled funding from in-progress grants
STEM education
-$656 mil.
Math, physics, chem.
-$61 mil.
Geosciences
-$53 mil.
Computer science
-$47 mil.
Social sciences
-$46 mil.
Technology
-$38 mil.
Engineering
-$36 mil.
Biology
-$28 mil.
The chart shows the total cut in intended award funding for terminated grants grouped by N.S.F. directorate after excluding money that has already been spent.
Source: USA Spending and Grant Watch
But in contrast with the canceled grants, the slowdown in issuing new grants is broader, representing an across-the-board hit to American science.
Decline in new grant funding in 2025
Math, physics, chem.
-$289 mil.
STEM education
-$223 mil.
Biology
-$156 mil.
Engineering
-$127 mil.
Geosciences
-$101 mil.
Computer science
-$85 mil.
Technology
-$18 mil.
Social sciences
-$16 mil.
The N.S.F. said in a statement that while it will focus on the Trump administration’s priorities — like artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology and nuclear energy — it remains “committed to awarding grants and funding all areas of science and engineering.”
Yet the data shows the agency’s funding of new grants at its lowest level since at least 1990, around when the N.S.F. expanded into its modern structure. The funding has slowed even further since April 30, when agency employees were told to stop awarding funds entirely, according to an email reviewed by The New York Times.
Cumulative grant funding by the National Science Foundation, 1990-2025
Shows the cumulative total intended award for all grants funded by the N.S.F. from Jan. 1 to May 21 of each year in 2025 dollars. Spikes reflect large multi-year grants.
Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House science committee, said the Trump administration was denying funding that had already been approved by Congress.
“What they’re doing is not only ********, but it’s also very damaging to the science enterprise and, ultimately, to the economy of the United States,” she said.
The N.S.F. has said it is canceling awards that are not in line with its priorities, including those focused on D.E.I., environmental justice, misinformation and disinformation. The cancellations have been cheered by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, who in February published a list identifying more than a third of the grants that have been terminated.
“My Commerce Committee investigation exposed how the Biden administration corrupted the N.S.F. grantmaking process with a divisive fixation on identity politics,” Mr. Cruz said in a statement. “This kind of politicization erodes public trust in science. The N.S.F. must spend taxpayer dollars responsibly and prioritize objectivity and scientific rigor.”
House Democrats on the science committee have said the cancellations themselves are “based on hard-right political ideology and not scientific or research expertise,” and have noted flaws in Mr. Cruz’s report, like associating the term “biodiversity” with D.E.I.
N.S.F. officials interviewed for this article said many grants that have already gone through the agency’s rigorous review process and were recommended for funding have been in limbo for months. After the April 30 email freezing new awards, which was first reported by Nature, another email on May 13 allowed for some new funding but kept a freeze in place for higher education institutions.
A spokesman for the N.S.F. said it was still “making awards to higher education institutions.”
Either way, the N.S.F.’s directorate for STEM education has had one of the steepest shortfalls in new grants. Its award funding has declined by around 80 percent this year.
Funding through May 21 for …
STEM education ↓ 80%
2015-2024 average $280 million In 2025 $56 million
Undergrad. education
$135m
Equity for excellence in STEM
$46m
Research on learning
$77m
The N.S.F. says that it directly supported over 350,000 researchers, teachers and students last year alone. It supports over 20,000 graduate students, more than any other federal agency except the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research and has also awarded far fewer grants this year.
Within its education branch, the N.S.F. has moved to eliminate the division of equity for excellence in STEM, which promotes D.E.I. and supports students who are underrepresented in science and engineering. The closure has been put on hold by a court order.
The N.S.F.’s division of graduate education, which funds graduate student research, typically approves $21 million in grants by this point of the year, but has awarded none so far. It announced 1,000 graduate research fellowships this year, down from over 2,000 in prior years, as reported last month by Nature.
Ms. Lofgren said these education programs are required by law and were adopted with bipartisan support.
“You can’t have science without scientists,” she said.
Here’s how the shortfall in grant awards this year has affected other areas of science:
Math, physics and chemistry ↓ 67%
2015-2024 average $432 million In 2025 $143 million
N.S.F. grant funding for core scientific disciplines like math, physics, chemistry and material sciences has dropped by two-thirds this year.
The N.S.F. funds “basic” research in these areas: fundamental or unexpected discoveries that may be decades away from practical applications. That includes research on ultrafast lasers in the 1990s that eventually resulted in bladeless LASIK eye surgery, or radar technology in the 1960s that revolutionized weather prediction three decades later.
Curiosity-driven research lays the foundation for private sector investments and leads to breakthroughs that can be commercialized, said Deborah Wince-Smith, the president of the Council of Competitiveness, a nonpartisan organization composed of chief executives, university presidents and heads of national laboratories.
The N.S.F. has also funded major astronomical observatories that have made groundbreaking discoveries such as capturing the first images of ****** holes or detecting gravitational waves.
In 2023, the N.S.F. funded half of all federally supported basic research in math and statistics in American colleges. So far this year, math and statistics grant funding is lagging behind previous years by 72 percent.
Funding for physics grants this year has fallen by 85 percent, and funding for materials research grants has dropped by 63 percent.
Engineering ↓ 57%
2015-2024 average $221 million In 2025 $94 million
N.S.F. grant funding for core engineering disciplines has dropped by 57 percent this year. These divisions fund areas like robotics, manufacturing innovations and semiconductor research.
Funding for grants related to chemical, bioengineering, environmental and transport systems has fallen by 71 percent this year, while funding for grants related to civil and mechanical engineering and manufacturing innovation has fallen by 48 percent.
Biology ↓ 52%
2015-2024 average $303 million In 2025 $147 million
Biological infrastructure
$99m
Most federal funding for biology research comes from the National Institutes of Health, but the N.S.F. also supports the field. Its grant funding for biology is at half of its previous 10-year average. There were fewer funds awarded for research in biotechnology and environmental biology, and less money for the tools, facilities and people that support biological research.
Computer science ↓ 31%
2015-2024 average $277 million In 2025 $192 million
Information & intelligent systems
$68m
Advanced cyberinfrastructure
$39m
Computing foundations
$74m
Computer science divisions that have supported research in topics like artificial intelligence, data science, computer security and emerging computing technologies have awarded fewer funds this year.
But the office of advanced cyberinfrastructure has awarded twice the funding that is typical by this time of year, including a $26 million grant for generative A.I. tools and a $20 million grant to “advance American leadership in artificial intelligence.”
In 2023, the N.S.F. provided 72 percent of federal funds for foundational computer science research at colleges and universities.
The agency provided early funding that led to recent developments in artificial intelligence. For example, the researchers who received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in artificial neural networks — technologies that underlie tools like ChatGPT — received N.S.F. funding in the 1980s, long before their work had widespread applications.
The funds also support the careers of graduate students, a large share of whom eventually work in the technology industry, said Greg Hager, the former head of the N.S.F.’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, who resigned from the agency this month.
“It’s going to impact progress today, but it’s going to have profound impacts for years to come,” he said of the reductions in funding for computer science.
Geosciences ↓ 33%
2015-2024 average $305 million In 2025 $204 million
In 2023, the N.S.F. supported over half of all federally funded basic geosciences research in American universities.
This year, the agency has fired workers at the Office of Polar Programs, which coordinates research in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The polar office has awarded 88 percent less money in grants this year.
But the ocean sciences division has awarded more funding than typical this year, including a $39 million grant to establish an office that will manage a deep-sea drilling program and an $18 million grant to Columbia University to support a research vessel.
Social and behavioral sciences ↓ 20%
2015-2024 average $78 million In 2025 $62 million
Social science & economics
$31m
Behavioral & cognitive sciences
$32m
There has been a 96 percent decrease in grant funding for multidisciplinary research, which spans biology, physics and engineering. Previously funded projects have included using cells as sensors to monitor pollutants and diseases in wastewater, creating biodegradable robots, and engineering fungi to recover valuable metals from e-waste.
The behavioral and cognitive sciences division has awarded 30 percent more grant funding this year compared with the past decade’s average — despite the Trump administration’s targeting of “woke social, behavioral and economic sciences.” That included funding research on tracking changes in romantic relationships, how hand gestures can enhance learning and a database that lists the average rents in a neighborhood.
Technology, innovation and partnerships ↓ 17%
2015-2024 average $110 million In 2025 $92 million
Translational impacts
$86m
The CHIPS and Science Act, a bipartisan law enacted during the Biden administration in 2022, created the N.S.F.’s Directorate of Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. Last year it funded projects for agricultural technology in North Dakota, climate resilience in Wyoming and semiconductor assembly in Central Florida.
This branch’s grant funding has decreased by 17 percent, a moderate reduction compared with the decreases in other areas.
Here are all the changes so far:
Changes in N.S.F. grant funding
Show less detail
Directorate
2015-2024 avg. funding
2025 funding
Change
Education
$280 mil.
$56 mil.
-80%
Graduate education
$21 mil.
$0
-100%
Equity for excellence in STEM
$46 mil.
$1 mil.
-97%
Research on learning in formal and informal settings
$77 mil.
$16 mil.
-79%
Undergraduate education
$135 mil.
$39 mil.
-71%
Math, physics and chemistry
$432 mil.
$143 mil.
-67%
Strategic initiatives
$6k
$0
-100%
Physics
$72 mil.
$11 mil.
-85%
Mathematical sciences
$113 mil.
$32 mil.
-72%
Materials research
$118 mil.
$43 mil.
-63%
Chemistry
$103 mil.
$44 mil.
-57%
Astronomical sciences
$26 mil.
$12 mil.
-53%
Engineering
$221 mil.
$94 mil.
-57%
Emerging frontiers in research and innovation
$2 mil.
$42k
-98%
Chemical, bioengineering, environmental and transport systems
$75 mil.
$22 mil.
-71%
Engineering education and centers
$27 mil.
$12 mil.
-56%
Civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation
$80 mil.
$42 mil.
-48%
Electrical, communications and cyber systems
$36 mil.
$19 mil.
-48%
Biology
$303 mil.
$147 mil.
-52%
Biological infrastructure
$99 mil.
$32 mil.
-68%
Integrative organismal systems
$88 mil.
$34 mil.
-61%
Environmental biology
$75 mil.
$39 mil.
-49%
Molecular and cellular biosciences
$40 mil.
$37 mil.
-9%
Emerging frontiers
$801k
$5 mil.
+521%
Geosciences
$305 mil.
$204 mil.
-33%
Office of polar programs
$51 mil.
$6 mil.
-88%
Earth sciences
$78 mil.
$16 mil.
-80%
Research, innovation, synergies and education (RISE)
$11 mil.
$6 mil.
-47%
Atmospheric and geospace sciences
$63 mil.
$40 mil.
-36%
Ocean sciences
$103 mil.
$136 mil.
+33%
Computer science
$277 mil.
$192 mil.
-31%
Information & intelligent systems
$68 mil.
$27 mil.
-60%
Computer and network systems
$96 mil.
$42 mil.
-57%
Computing and communication foundations
$74 mil.
$43 mil.
-41%
Office of advanced cyberinfrastructure
$39 mil.
$80 mil.
+102%
Social sciences
$78 mil.
$62 mil.
-20%
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
$2 mil.
$0
-100%
Multidisciplinary activities
$11 mil.
$401k
-96%
Social and economic sciences
$31 mil.
$20 mil.
-37%
Behavioral and cognitive sciences
$32 mil.
$42 mil.
+30%
Technology
$110 mil.
$92 mil.
-17%
Technology frontiers
$9k
$0
-100%
Translational impacts
$86 mil.
$44 mil.
-48%
Innovation and technology ecosystems
$24 mil.
$47 mil.
+95%
Other
$65 mil.
$47 mil.
-29%
Total
$2.1 bil.
$1 bil.
-50%
Shows the cumulative total intended award for new grants funded by the N.S.F. from Jan. 1 to May 21 of each year.
‘Total confusion’
The National Science Foundation has usually awarded half of its funds for the fiscal year by early July. In theory, this year’s funding levels could still catch up to former levels if the agency accelerates its pace of making awards over the summer.
But officials described an agency that has been thrown into chaos as it tries to navigate a new political landscape under President Trump. The agency is in the midst of a major restructuring to eliminate its 37 divisions. It has also conducted layoffs and placed pressure on its workers to resign or retire. (The restructuring and termination of employees has been paused by a court order until Friday.)
Many N.S.F. divisions do not know how much they can spend this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and this uncertainty may also be contributing to this year’s funding lag.
“There’s total confusion,” said one employee who has worked at the N.S.F. for more than a decade and is involved in determining which grants are recommended for funding. The employee, who did not want to be named out of fear of retaliation for speaking to the news media, said that the N.S.F.’s rigorous review process had been disassembled, and that political mandates had taken precedence over scientific merits when assessing grant proposals.
“There’s confusion on how much money we can spend,” the employee said. “And then there’s confusion because the processes are basically paralyzed.”
About the data
Using the N.S.F.’s awards database, we tabulated the intended award amounts for all projects funded between Jan. 1 and May 21 of each year. The award date is determined by the initial amendment date, which typically precedes the start date of the project. Intended awards reflect the amount that the N.S.F. intends to fund over the entire life of a project, which may extend multiple years beyond the year the project was awarded. All award amounts are inflation-adjusted to March 2025 dollars by using the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index.
Source link
#Trump #Cut #Science #Funding #Lowest #Level #Decades
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Electrical worker on ‘road to recovery’ after New Carlisle Amazon data center fire
Electrical worker on ‘road to recovery’ after New Carlisle Amazon data center fire
One man injured at the Amazon Web Services data center last month is recovering from his injuries, a representative of his union told The Tribune.
A small workplace fire that broke out in the 31100 block of Edison Road around 11:30 a.m. April 24 injured two men who were treated on the scene by the New Carlisle Fire Department and then airlifted to the hospital for treatment of their “severe” injuries.
One of the injured men is an electrical worker, Mike Leda, a business manager with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 153, confirmed May 21. Leda told The Tribune no one died in the incident and that the electrical worker is “on the road to recovery.”
Leda chose not to comment further on the man’s condition out of respect for the family, he said. Leda did not provide any information regarding the second man injured.
New Carlisle Fire Assistant Chief Chad Hess confirmed the victims were two men, but did not give their ages. He did not provide an update on their condition, citing the inability to keep in contact with speciality hospitals outside their reach with whom they don’t have an existing relationship.
When asked what the victims’ injuries were on the scene, whether the men suffered from burns or smoke inhalation, Hess said only that their injuries were severe.
Ongoing investigation
The fire and workplace incident are currently under the investigation of New Carlisle Fire Department, fire investigators with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security State Fire Marshal and the Indiana Department of Labor‘s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. IOSHA confirmed on April 29 that a safety compliance inspection is in progress but said it doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at *****@*****.tld.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Man recovering after injured in New Carlisle Amazon workplace incident
Source link
#Electrical #worker #road #recovery #Carlisle #Amazon #data #center #fire
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Lack of practical learning bad for STEM careers
Lack of practical learning bad for STEM careers
Not providing enough practical experience in science classes will have a direct impact on whether children work in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) roles in the future, research suggests.
EngineeringUK and The Royal Society’s Science education tracker asked hundreds of science teachers about delivering hands-on lessons and found there has been a decline in practical classes, with teachers highlighting many of the barriers standing in the way of being able to deliver this style of teaching.
“We know the frequency of hands-on practical science has dropped,” said Becca Gooch, head of research at EngineeringUK. “Our Science Education Tracker research in partnership with the Royal Society highlighted this, as well as how critically vital practical science is as a motivating factor for learning science for years seven to nine.
“Hands-on practicals help bring science to life for young people and boost interest in science, as well as developing important skills,” she added. “We need more young people, especially girls, choosing to continue with science and progress into engineering and technology careers. So, we need school students to have many more opportunities to get hands-on in their science lessons.”
More than half of children in years seven to nine highlighted how important practical science lessons are for motivating them to learn more about the subject, especially for students who are less interested in the topic – if there are fewer practical science lessons, it actually serves to put people off of studying the subject later on in their education.
With EngineeringUK and The Royal Society reporting that a diverse engineering and tech workforce in the future is directly linked to young people engaging in science and other STEM subjects, more needs to be done to maintain an interest in these subjects into further education and beyond.
One of the reasons young people, and especially girls, don’t choose tech or other STEM careers is because they don’t fully understand what they involve or what the kinds of people working in those careers look like, so hands-on lessons can help in informing young people about what skills they may use in a future career.
Practical learning
Female students are slightly more likely to engage with a subject when there is practical work involved than their male counterparts – practical elements of learning were a motivator for 54% of female students versus half of males – and having a good teacher is also more important to girls than boys.
But hands-on science lessons have been on the decline over the past 10 years, with 44% of students across the *** taking part in practical work at least once every two weeks in 2016, dropping to 37% in 2019, and falling further to just over a quarter in 2023 – and now in many cases, practical demonstrations have been replaced with videos.
Teachers pointed to a number of barriers in the way of delivering hands-on lessons, the biggest of which are what is required in the curriculum, and the time they have – with the amount of time it takes for teachers to develop practical sessions that relate directly to the learning goals laid out in the curriculum, teachers said in many cases they can’t feasibly work them into their teaching.
Unfortunately, a child’s socio-economic background can stand between them and certain educational pathways, and the area a school is in can prevent access to certain funding and resources.
What schools are able to provide can be varied depending on funding and area, and 26% of teachers said a lack of equipment stood in the way of offering more practical lessons. Some 27% said they don’t have the money to buy the equipment.
Almost a quarter said they don’t have enough technicians with the skills available to facilitate hands-on science lessons, and almost 40% of teachers said vacancies in science departments have stopped students from receiving practical teaching.
A small number of science teachers also expressed concerns about their ability to deliver practical sessions, with 3% saying they lack the training and 2% saying they lack the confidence to do so, a trend that has existed for some time.
EngineeringUK and The Royal Society pointed out that practical science lessons are important for increasing student interest in STEM, fuelling the talent pipeline in the future, and gave a number of recommendations to help enable teachers to offer more hands-on lessons.
The first was a call to government to take advantage of the current curriculum review to streamline it and allow science lessons to offer more practical lessons, as well as to make practical learning part of the curriculum to ensure all students are able to experience these kinds of lessons as part of their learning.
Resources for schools was the third suggestion from EngineeringUK and The Royal Society. Going forward, schools need more investment to make sure they have the equipment, training and technical assistance needed to give students the opportunity for practical lessons.
Source link
#Lack #practical #learning #bad #STEM #careers
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Leaving Large-Caps: Where Portfolios Are Shifting and Where They Should Head Next
Leaving Large-Caps: Where Portfolios Are Shifting and Where They Should Head Next
Large-cap stocks, particularly high-flying growth and tech names, have dominated the US stock markets in recent years, led by the Magnificent Seven stocks.
This year, large-caps and tech stocks took a big hit in the first three and a half months of the year, with many being the victims of their own success. Their valuations got so high, after years of outperformance, that gravity finally started catching up with them.
But in the past month, large caps have rallied, fueled in large part by the tariff pauses. Some, like NVIDIA (NASDAQ:) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:), have recovered all of their YTD losses in the past month. But many investors are still not convinced that large caps are back in this uncertain market, as new analysis from asset management firm Vanguard shows.
Tilting Toward Small- and Mid-Caps
In its Q2 ETF Industry Perspectives, Vanguard found that financial advisors are pulling away from large-cap stocks and diversifying their portfolios.
“Questions about overconcentration risk have been growing for over a year, and they’ve only grown louder following the recent pullback and volatility in equity markets,” wrote Vanguard experts Andrey Kotlyarenko, equity index senior investment product manager; David Sharp director, ETF Capital Markets; and Brad Collins, fixed income investment product management senior specialist.
Vanguard is seeing that shift take place, based on surveys of its 1,747 client portfolios. The research indicates that advisors are tilting their portfolios toward small- and mid-cap stocks and away from large- and mega-cap growth stocks.
According to the survey, advisors have been overweighting small- and mid-caps by about 10 percentage points above the benchmark allocations of around 25%.
Where They Should Be Going
While advisors are shifting away from large caps toward smaller company stocks, they are missing an opportunity to further diversify internationally, particularly in Europe.
The , Europe’s equivalent to the , is up 9% YTD, while the MSCI EAFE Index (NYSE:) has returned about 14% YTD. And, as the Vanguard experts noted, they are generally cheaper than their U.S. counterparts.
“Considering the uncertainty around U.S. stock valuations moving forward, trimming at least some of that exposure can further help reduce concentration concerns. Prior to the March 2025 market volatility, U.S. stocks were at least two standard deviations more expensive than global stocks based on the last 20 years,” the Vanguard experts wrote.
Yet, most advisor portfolios are underweight in international allocations. Vanguard found that the median client portfolio has a 75% weighting in U.S. stocks, which is 12 points above the 63% benchmark.
“Adding more international stocks can make portfolios more diverse—a benefit that could pay off if the current valuation gap between U.S. and international stocks normalizes over the long run,” the Vanguard analysts wrote.
Original Post
Source link
#Leaving #LargeCaps #Portfolios #Shifting
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Parliament supports proposals to simplify EU carbon leakage instrument | News
Parliament supports proposals to simplify EU carbon leakage instrument | News
Parliament today endorsed the Commission’s proposal, which is a part of the “Omnibus I” simplification package presented on 26 February 2025. MEPs adopted only technical amendments for clarification purposes and supported a new de minimis mass threshold of 50 tonnes. This would exempt the vast majority (90%) of importers − mainly small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals − who import only small quantities of CBAM goods. The CBAM environmental objectives remain achievable, as 99% of total CO2 emissions from imports of iron, steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers would still be covered by the rules.
For the imports covered, the changes also simplify the authorisation process for declarants (parties wishing to import goods subject to the CBAM), the calculation of emissions and the management of CBAM financial liability, while strengthening anti-abuse provisions.
Quote
After the vote, rapporteur Antonio Decaro (S&D, IT) said: “The CBAM is a crucial instrument to help the EU prevent carbon leakage and incentivise climate action outside the EU. I am therefore glad that Parliament decided not to reopen other provisions of the CBAM legislation. This approach enables us to simplify matters for companies without dismantling or weakening the CBAM. We will continue to work quickly to bring legal clarity and certainty to all CBAM stakeholders.”
Next steps
MEPs adopted the text by 564 votes in favour, 20 against and with 12 abstentions. Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with Council on the final shape of the legislation.
Background
The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism is the EU’s tool to equalise the price of carbon paid for EU products operating under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) with that of imported goods, and to encourage greater climate ambition in non-EU countries. In early 2026, the Commission will assess whether to extend the scope of the CBAM to other ETS sectors at risk of carbon leakage.
Source link
#Parliament #supports #proposals #simplify #carbon #leakage #instrument #News
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Jerry Jones: Am I really against the tush push, or just don’t want Eagles to have an edge? – NBC Sports
Jerry Jones: Am I really against the tush push, or just don’t want Eagles to have an edge? – NBC Sports
Jerry Jones: Am I really against the tush push, or just don’t want Eagles to have an edge? NBC SportsSources: Tempers flare in tense tush push debate ESPNNFL tush push vote: Which teams voted for, against banning controversial Eagles play? Yahoo SportsRoger Goodell is trying to save face after failed attempt to ban tush push Bleeding Green NationWhy the tush push, or Brotherly Shove, still belongs in the NFL The New York Times
Source link
#Jerry #Jones #tush #push #dont #Eagles #edge #NBC #Sports
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Lowe’s Did Something That Home Depot Didn’t – But Its Stock Is Still Falling
Lowe’s Did Something That Home Depot Didn’t – But Its Stock Is Still Falling
Home improvement store Lowe’s (NYSE:) did something that its rival Home Depot (NYSE:) didn’t do this quarter — it beat earnings estimates. Yet Lowe’s stock was still trading lower, down about 2%, as the retailer faces a challenging economic environment.
Lowe’s saw its revenue in the first quarter decline 2.3% to $20.9 billion, but it was in line with analysts’ expectations.
Net earnings were down about 7% to $1.64 billion in the quarter, while earnings were down about 4.5% to $2.92 per share. That was better than analysts expected, as the consensus called for earnings of $2.88 per share. One day earlier, Home Depot missed earnings estimates for the first time in five years.
Comparable store sales dropped 1.7% in the quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago, due mainly to unfavorable weather earlier in the quarter. That was partially offset by mid-single-digit Lowe’s Pro, its reward program for contractors, and online comparable sales growth.
“Despite near-term uncertainty and housing market headwinds, our team’s unwavering focus on exceptional customer service has elevated satisfaction scores and earned Lowe’s the #1 ranking in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retailers by J.D. Power,” Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO, said.
On the earnings call with analysts, Ellison said Q1 results were challenged by lower demand for ******* ticket discretionary projects, along with a start to spring due to weather.
Maintaining its Guidance
Lowe’s maintained its guidance for the rest of the fiscal year, calling for total sales of $83.5 to $84.5 billion, which would be up slightly at the midpoint from $83.6 billion in sales in 2024. Further, comparable sales are expected to be flat to up 1% as compared to prior year.
Diluted earnings per share are projected to be approximately $12.15 to $12.40, up at the midpoint from $12.23 in 2024. Also, the operating margin is targeted at 12.3% to 12.4%, up a bit from 2024 and unchanged from the previous guidance.
The drop in big-ticket project spending is in part due to high mortgage rates, as often consumers take on big projects when preparing to sell. But since mortgage rates are so high, consumers are still putting those projects off.
“We’ve yet to really see at scale the consumer re-engage in larger discretionary categories, still mainly sitting on the sidelines. I think the good news is the trends aren’t getting any worse,” Bill Boltz, Lowe’s CFO, said on the earnings call.
On the matter of tariffs, Ellison said the company plans to maintain competitive pricing.
“I think the key point for us is that we’re going to be really price competitive in the home improvement channel, like we always are,” Ellison said on the call. “We’re not in the habit of donating market share to the competition. And so, in this environment, we’re going to be as keenly focused on competing on price as we are every single day.”
Dividend King
Lowe’s stock was down about 2% Wednesday and is off 8% year-to-date. Lowe’s stock has a median price target of $263 per share, which suggests 16% upside. Its reasonably valued with a P/E of 18 and it has one of the best dividends in the world.
Lowe’s is a Dividend King, having raised its dividend for 61 consecutive years. It currently pays out $1.15 per share at a yield of about 2.00%. For the reliable dividend alone, and its potential upside, the stock is worth consideration, especially on a dip.
Original Post
Source link
#Lowes #Home #Depot #Didnt #Stock #Falling
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Luke Beveridge and Kane Cornes face off in explosive pre-match ‘confrontation’
Luke Beveridge and Kane Cornes face off in explosive pre-match ‘confrontation’
AFL premiership coach Luke Beveridge and Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes have faced off before the Bulldogs’ clash with Geelong on Thursday night.
The pair have an infamously tense relationship, with a media ban placed on Cornes by the Bulldogs.
As a result they rarely interact — until a run-in on GMHBA Stadium.
Beveridge was on his way off the ground when he walked past Cornes, with the pair exchanging words as the Dogs coached walked by.
Beveridge turned back to keep talking to Cornes before he walked away mid-discussion.
A Bulldogs staffer could then be seen having a brief word with Cornes.
“There was a confrontation, there were some words spoken,” Cornes said on Channel 7 later.
“But look he’s combative, they do like to protect their players. I don’t have an issue with it, it’s a big game of footy.
“Clearly the relationship between myself and the Western Bulldogs isn’t a strong one.”
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings.
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
Cornes said he did not feel Beveridge went out of his way to have words.
“It was an awkward situation because he was staring at me quite strongly and I didn’t really know what to say,” he said.
“So I just said ‘g’day Bevo’ and it wasn’t received that well as you can see there in the vision.
“I would’ve liked to have gone on with the conversation and had it respectfully but it wasn’t the time or the place.”
Thursday night’s clash was headlined by star Geelong recruit Bailey Smith making his first appearance against the Bulldogs since his move to the club.
Cornes shared his latest opinion on Beveridge three weeks ago when The Agenda Setters co-host Craig Hutchison declared the coach was on a “charm offensive” with the media.
Beveridge is in the final year of his contract but has recently been reported to be on the brink of an extension.
Hutchison said the timing of Beveridge’s media “campaign” was no coincidence.
“This has been a coach who has been largely unavailable to the media for a long ******* of time, and we’re now seeing — which is a positive thing, by the way — him open up and be available and vulnerable,” Hutchison said.
“He’s getting a terrific hearing from everywhere that he does interviews at the moment.
“It’s been Sheedy-like, in my mind. And again on the weekend he got favourable coverage through the papers.
“Is he playing the Bulldogs on the break here with this PR campaign?”
Cornes said Beveridge was “playing the media on a break”.
“I find it incredibly amusing that he’s detested the media for such a long ******* of time and then you’re getting these sort of headlines.
“I think he’s sucked in the media and I don’t think it’s authentic. It’s strange.
“Now, maybe someone has sat him down and given him that feedback (that he hasn’t made himself available enough) and he’s taken that on board and it’s been good for the club, and I’d rather coaches speak than not.
“But for 10 years, he’s hardly spoken, and now because his contract is up for grabs, he’s available to everyone.”
Source link
#Luke #Beveridge #Kane #Cornes #face #explosive #prematch #confrontation
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
investors turn away from long-dated debt
investors turn away from long-dated debt
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg Creative Photos | Getty Images
A sell-off in global bonds is accelerating as Moody’s downgrade of U.S. credit rating and President Donald Trump’s tax bill has brought to ***** investors’ fiscal concerns globally.
Events such as credit rating downgrades or budgets that risk expanding deficits tend to bring fiscal concerns front and center of investors’ minds, forcing them to reprice long-end risk, said Rong Ren Goh, Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income, Eastspring Investments.
While Trump was unable to sway GOP dissenters to support his broad tax bill that could drive U.S. debt higher by a projected $3 trillion to $5 trillion, it appears to have triggered a global bond rout.
“Markets do not find Trump’s “big, beautiful tax bill” beautiful at all,” said Vishnu Varathan, a managing director at Mizuho Securities. “USTs were beaten up in an ugly sell-off.”
The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield broke above the key 5% mark for the second straight day, breaching the level last reached in November 2023. It is currently holding at 5.088%. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has climbed over 15 basis points since the start of the week.
The sell-off in Treasurys comes on the back of the exodus in American assets in April, and is largely owed to investors’ declining confidence in U.S. assets, said market watchers.
When investors dumped U.S. Treasuries last month, they turned to bonds in Japan and Germany. This time, the Treasury sell-off is accompanied by investors exiting bonds across several major markets.
Contagion effect — and more
The sell-off in long-duration bonds in each market has been driven by distinct factors, with the common thread being a growing unease with worsening fiscal trajectories. “These concerns are prompting a reassessment of the term premium required to hold longer-dated bonds,” said Goh.
Japan’s 40-year government bond yield hit a record high of 3.689% Thursday. The country’s 30-year government bond yield has also been hovering near all-time highs at 3.187%.
The yield on Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond has climbed 9 basis points to 1.57% so far this week.
The rapid steepening of Japan’s government bond yield curve is owed to several reasons, but the key one is structural. Japanese life insurance companies, who used to buy long-term bonds in droves to comply with certain solvency regulations are no longer doing that, as they have largely met the regulatory criteria, according to Bank of America.
Additionally, the Bank of Japan’s inclination to tighten its monetary policy, which collides with the Asian nation’s fiscal woes, also have a hand in fueling the bond sell-off, said Varathan.
The sell-off in Japanese government bonds poses a ******* problem for U.S. sovereign debt. “By making Japanese assets an attractive alternative for local investors, it encourages further divestment from the U.S.,” George Saravelos, Deutsche Bank’s global head of FX strategy wrote in a note.
******* government bonds — known as bunds — are also being dumped. Yield on 30-year ******* debt are up over 12 basis points, while the 10-year yield is up over 6 basis points.
“The removal of the ******* debt brake in tandem with continental re-armament, alluding to an end of Europe’s pro-austerity bias and a revival of regional growth prospects were, arguably, the catalyst for the process [bond sell-off],” said Philip McNicholas, Asia strategist of the global macro fixed income team at Robeco.
******* bunds are also pressured by wider deficits, which are likely to be structural, Mizuho Securities’ Varathan said.
The 30-year Europe government bond yields have climbed over 12 basis points this week, and the 10-year yields are up about 7 basis points.
“Investors don’t really have much love for long duration bonds right now,” Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers told CNBC.
Concerns about global inflation are also a “killer” for longer bonds, said Sosnick, adding that shorter duration bonds are typically influenced by central bank policy, while longer duration debt is influenced more by investor expectations about the future of the economy.
Bonds in some emerging market have bucked the wider trend though, with their yields dropping.
India and China’s 10-year bond yields have slipped, largely as they are more domestically-oriented markets, and in part because of their capital controls, said McNicholas.
India’s 10-year government bond yield inched lower by about 2 basis points since Monday, while China’s 10-year yield also slipped marginally.
“Foreign investors and global factors are far less relevant determinants for their respective yield curves,” he said.
Source link
#investors #turn #longdated #debt
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Raidou Remastered Switch 2 Hands-On Preview – Nostalgic ****** Summoning | MP1st
Raidou Remastered Switch 2 Hands-On Preview – Nostalgic ****** Summoning | MP1st
ATLUS is bringing the classic action RPG back with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, launching on June 19, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch 2 and other major platforms. This enhanced version revitalizes the 2006 PlayStation 2 title, offering a modern experience while preserving the game’s unique charm.
Source link
#Raidou #Remastered #Switch #HandsOn #Preview #Nostalgic #****** #Summoning #MP1st
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Trump showed old videos, took crosses out of context in South Africa genocide claims – ABC News
Trump showed old videos, took crosses out of context in South Africa genocide claims – ABC News
Trump showed old videos, took crosses out of context in South Africa genocide claims ABC NewsHow the White House orchestrated Trump’s Oval Office ambush of South African president CNNSouth Africa Wanted to Talk Trade. Then Trump Turned Down the Lights. The New York TimesFact-checking Trump’s claims of white farmer ‘genocide’ in South Africa PBSTrump Displays DRC Visual As Proof Of South African ‘Genocide’ Barron’s
Source link
#Trump #showed #videos #crosses #context #South #Africa #genocide #claims #ABC #News
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Former Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos proud of long-time friend Ange Postecoglou’s success
Former Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos proud of long-time friend Ange Postecoglou’s success
Former Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos has hailed his long-time friend Ange Postecoglou as a visionary and praised the legacy he has left for *********** football.
Source link
#Perth #Glory #chief #executive #Peter #Filopoulos #proud #longtime #friend #Ange #Postecoglous #success
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
I’m a Strength Coach. I’m Begging Guys to Train This Underrated Muscle Group
I’m a Strength Coach. I’m Begging Guys to Train This Underrated Muscle Group
Many beginners that start lifting weights love to focus on the fun muscle groups like chest and biceps. As they gain more experience and want to get stronger, they may realize that training the rest of the body matters too. Thus, they take on a bro training split that includes all the major players: chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, and abs.
This is a somewhat better strategy, but there is still a major component that is missing, and it actually has something to do with that arm day. Triceps take up two-thirds of the upper arm, and of course biceps matter as well, but have you ever thought about your forearms?
If you haven’t been training the muscles below the elbow regularly, it’s time to add it to the program.
Related: Build Arms Like Vin Diesel With These Quick and Brutal Arm Workouts
Why Train the Forearms?
Let’s get the easy answer out of the way first. The forearms are usually more visible than the upper arms, and training the forearms will make them ******* and better developed, a surefire indicator that you take care of yourself. Looking better is great, but that’s not the primary focus here. A stronger grip will also translate to overall greater strength with other exercises such as rows and deadlifts. If you have a strong grip, then you’ll be less likely to need lifting straps for those big lifts.
Yes, it’s simpler to pull out the straps and use those for exercises that are impacted by grip strength, but are you going to have those straps when it comes time to
Now, let’s cover the most important reason of all. Research has shown that improving hand grip strength can have a direct correlation to overall improved health. A stronger grip could even be a biomarker of increased lifespan. Other issues that could potentially be avoided from proper forearm and grip training include carpal tunnel and tennis elbow.
Muscles in the Forearms
The forearms have over 20 individual muscles, and it would be a tall task to ask any lifter to train each of them individually. However, there are some forearm muscles that are primary players for grip, and training them properly is certainly worth the time and energy. Some of you may think of muscles such as the brachioradialis and the pronator teres, and for good reason, but these are three lesser known muscles that matter even more for grip purposes, which is why they will be the primary focus.
Flexor Digitorum Profundus (****)
You may not think of this muscle when it comes to the way the forearms look, but when it comes to grip, this is the star of the show. The flexor digitorum profundus allows flexion of the wrist joint. If you’re going to hold anything with the intent of either picking it up or hanging on to it, you need this. It originates at the ulna and inserts at the base of the four fingers.
Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL)
The flexor pollicis longus is responsible for the work that the thumb does. It is also involved with wrist flexion. It originates at the interior surface of the radius and originates at the last bone of the thumb. If the thumb is not wrapped around the object you want to hold properly (otherwise known as a false grip), then you are not using your grip to the best of your ability.
Pronator Quadratus
The pronator quadratus is a flat, square-shaped muscle that is deep in the forearm. If you are looking at your forearm trying to flex it, you won’t be able to see it because it is deep down in the forearm. The pronator quadratus is near the wrist between the radius and ulna. It is responsible for turning the palm downward as well as stability of the wrist. If you are working with an overhand grip with the forearms bent, such as with a reverse curl, then the pronator quadratus is working.
How to Train the Forearms
Training the forearms is simple, but doing it properly is far from easy if you want to maximize your grip potential. In other words, you can realistically perform some of these exercises anytime you want in or out of the weight room, but you should feel like you have done something productive when you finish it. These are not the only exercises for grip training, but they’re a great starting point for most lifters.
Beginner Forearm Exercises
Tennis Ball Squeezes
Yes, this is as basic as it seems. Take a tennis ball, stress ball, or even a hand grip, and simply squeeze it as hard as you can. You can either try to hold a consistent grip for time or rep out as many squeezes as you can in 60 seconds.
How to Do It
Take the tennis ball and hold it at arms’ length with a normal grip.
Squeeze the ball as hard as you can as if you are trying to crush it in your bare hands.
Release the grip and repeat with the opposite hand. Repeat for the desired reps for each hand.
You can also do this with arms bent and palms facing up or down, depending on your preference.
Bonus tip: Many powerlifters and strongmen know that the pinky side of the hand is usually what gives out first when a grip is about to fail. If you want to address this, then start this exercise by only using your pinky while holding the ball in the hand. The concept is that if the pinky is less likely to fail, then the grip will be stronger for longer.
Dead Hang
The dead hang is an exercise that many athletes use to work on both grip and pull up strength. Most individuals reading this should be able to support their own bodyweight while hanging off a bar for at least a few seconds. Your initial goal should be at least 10 seconds with your bodyweight with an intention of working up to 60 seconds.
How to Do It
Approach a horizontal pull up bar that is slightly higher than your reach, and secure your overhand grip before allowing yourself to hang. This can be done while standing on a step or box.
Keep your chin neutral, then step off of the step or box, or have someone remove it from underneath you.
Hang while keeping the arms and legs straight. Once you reach failure or max time, you have done one set. Repeat for the desired sets.
Bonus tip: If you can last longer than 60 seconds, then use extra resistance such as a ruck pack, weighted vest, or a dip belt with weight plates hanging on it.
Suitcase Holds
This exercise can be done with a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a weight plate, but a barbell inside of a squat rack is best. The length of the barbell and additional weight will provide a more unstable challenge.
How to Do It
Stand inside a squat rack with the working arm next to a barbell that should be set at just below arms’ length.
Grab the center of the barbell on the knurling with a standard grip. Do not use a false grip. You should have to bend over slightly to do this.
Stand straight and tall to lift the barbell up. You should try to keep the bar around an inch away from the hip. Do not hold on to the uprights of the rack with the non-working hand, allow yourself to brace it against the body. Keep chin and spine neutral while looking straight ahead.
Once your grip reaches failure, return the barbell to the rack and repeat with the opposite arm.
Bonus tip: If you do rows or deadlifts, this is a great exercise to use in preparation for those exercises.
More Advanced Forearm Exercises
Farmer’s Walk
This actually isn’t a challenging exercise, but it may not be as simple to do because of equipment or space. If you have the distance to walk and a lot of weight to challenge yourself, this is a surefire grip enhancer.
How to Do It
Take a pair of even dumbbells, kettlebells, or a trap bar with weight on it, and stand tall with the arms down to the sides. Look straight ahead and keep a neutral spine.
Walk the dedicated distance you have available (up to 50 feet), and continue until you lose your grip or return to the starting line (100 total feet).
Go for max weight for 100 feet or max distance if you have limited weight to work with.
Bonus tip: Want to work your core too? Use a pair of unequal weights. Start with the heavier weight on one side, then switch. This will challenge the entire core as well as your grip.
Reverse Barbell Curl
This is an exercise that is more for forearm development than grip strength, but it will target the pronator quadratus as well as the brachioradialis, which will benefit your grip.
How to Do It
Take a shoulder-width overhand grip of a barbell.
Stand tall with arms to the sides while holding the barbell.
Perform a curl just as you would a standard barbell curl. Pause at the top of the motion briefly.
Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position, and repeat for the desired reps.
Bonus tip: This can also be done with an EZ-Curl barbell if you have wrist issues but want the benefits of the exercise. It’s a tremendous way to finish an arm training session.
Captains of Crush Grip
The Captains of Crush are hand grips that offer significantly more challenging resistance than standard hand grips. They range from 60 up to 365 pounds. The goal is to close the grip completely so the handles touch.
How to Do It
Secure one handle of the grip inside the nook of your thumb and index finger. The four fingers should be wrapped around the other grip. You may need to use the opposite hand to help squeeze the handles so the hand fits properly.
Begin squeezing until the grips touch or you reach failure. If the grips touch, return to the starting position and repeat. Once you fail with the first hand, perform the same movement with the other.
Bonus tip: If you know that one hand is weaker than the other, then start with that hand so you have more energy and focus to devote. This can help promote a more balanced strength level for both hands.
How to Program Forearms Into Your Routine
If you want to start out slow, add grip exercises to your warmup routine before you begin the main portion of your session. If grip is going to be a priority, then bookending the workout with grip work at the beginning and end is the proper play.
Related: 3 Moves for Big Arms
Source link
#Strength #Coach #Begging #Guys #Train #Underrated #Muscle #Group
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Horoscope for Thursday, May 22, 2025 – Chicago Sun-Times
Horoscope for Thursday, May 22, 2025 – Chicago Sun-Times
Horoscope for Thursday, May 22, 2025 Chicago Sun-TimesHoroscopes Today, May 22, 2025 USA TodayYour Daily Horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant: May 22, 2025 The CutNumerology Horoscope Today: Predictions for May 22, 2025 Hindustan TimesYour Daily Singles Horoscope for May 22, 2025 Yahoo
Source link
#Horoscope #Thursday #Chicago #SunTimes
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Bryce Cotton to stay in NBL after stunning defection to Adelaide 36ers in major backflip
Bryce Cotton to stay in NBL after stunning defection to Adelaide 36ers in major backflip
Bryce Cotton will remain in the NBL after a stunning backflip on his pledge to never play for another club with the Perth Wildcats’ legend set to sign with rivals Adelaide 36ers.
Source link
#Bryce #Cotton #stay #NBL #stunning #defection #Adelaide #36ers #major #backflip
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Kim Jong Un’s fury after watching North Korea’s new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch
Kim Jong Un’s fury after watching North Korea’s new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch
North Korea’s newest warship was severely damaged during a launch ceremony Wednesday, with leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the accident, saying it brought shame to the nation’s prestige and vowing to punish those found responsible, state media reported.
In a rare admission of failure, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said a malfunction in the launch mechanism caused the stern of the as-yet unnamed 5,000-ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway.
Kim called the launch failure “a criminal act” and blamed it on “absolute carelessness” and “irresponsibility” by multiple state institutions – including the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Chaek University of Technology and the central ship design bureau.
According to a South Korean military analysis, the vessel is lying on its side in the water, Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said during a press briefing on Thursday.
Naval analysts said the damage incurred by a vessel in such a launch malfunction could be “catastrophic.” State media did not immediately release images of the accident.
“If the ship does not move together, the stresses will tear the hull apart,” Sal Mercogliano, a professor at Campbell University in North Carolina and a maritime expert, told CNN.
Naval analyst Carl Schuster in Hawaii, after reviewing the KCNA account, said he thinks the stresses would “warp the hull, induce cracks and (possibly) snap the keel depending on where the greatest stress falls.”
The launch failure marks a setback for what analysts have viewed as North Korea’s most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades.
The ship was to be the second major navy surface vessel revealed in quick succession by North Korea. In April, Kim unveiled the Choe Hyon, the country’s first newly constructed destroyer in decades, and declared his ambition of building more destroyers and various cruisers and frigates.
The Choe Hyon, described as a “new generation” warship, was presented with significant fanfare with state media saying it would strengthen naval readiness amid what Pyongyang calls rising threats from the United States and South Korea.
Western defense analysts noted that the Choe Hyon marked a departure from the aging Soviet-era vessels that dominated the Korean People’s Navy. While details remain scarce, satellite imagery and footage suggested the Choe Hyon could share design elements with similar Russian navy ships.
Lee, the South Korean military spokesperson, said the vessel damaged on Wednesday was thought to be equipped like the Choe Hyon.
Wednesday’s incident could cast doubt on the country’s ability to scale its navy. Kim said the damage would be addressed not only through technical repairs, but political accountability.
He ordered the destroyer to be restored before the late June plenary session of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling the matter one of national honor.
However, considering the potential degree of damage, analysts said that it would be nearly impossible to meet Kim’s deadline.
Retired South Korean Adm. Kim Duk-ki told CNN that North Korea appeared to lack the necessary infrastructure – a dry dock – to launch a 5,000-ton destroyer, let alone recover and repair it.
A dry dock is a basin facility that can be filled with water to float a ship or drain out to build or repair one.
“Dry dock is an expensive facility, and North Korea probably doesn’t have one… It’s easy to repair a ship in a dry dock after draining water, but they don’t have the facility,” the retired admiral said, adding that restoration could take over four to five months.
South Korean lawmaker and defense analyst Yu Yong-weon said rushing the launch of the ship likely led to the problems encountered on Wednesday and warned hasty repairs could cause more problems down the line.
Schuster said repairs, if possible, are more likely to take months, rather than weeks.
An accident investigation group has been formed, and senior officials may face censure at the upcoming Party Central Committee meeting, an account from KCNA reported.
North Korea’s navy is often seen as the least developed branch of its military. The hastened pace of destroyer development has surprised some outside observers, raising questions about how much of the technology is functional versus symbolic.
Mercogliano, the US professor, said it’s unclear whether Pyongyang’s new warships even have engines as state media has provided no images of them underway.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Source link
#Kim #Jong #Uns #fury #watching #North #Koreas #navy #destroyer #crippled #botched #launch
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Fortnite returns to iPhone app store in US, ending exile imposed by Apple | Technology
Fortnite returns to iPhone app store in US, ending exile imposed by Apple | Technology
The popular video game Fortnite has returned to the iPhone app store in the US, ending a prolonged exile that was triggered by a legal showdown over the fees that Apple had been collecting for years through a payment system that the tech giant has been forced to change.
Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular games, hailed its app’s long-awaited restoration to the iPhone and iPad in a Tuesday post, marking the first time it will be available on those devices since it was ousted in 2020 for trying to avoid the 15% to 30% commissions that Apple collects on in-app transactions.
“Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads … and on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the E.U! It’ll show up in Search soon!” read a tweet from the game’s official account. As an upshot of its legal war with Apple, Epic established its own digital store.
The video game, which features virtual gunfighting on a digital island, is coming back to the iPhone just a few days after its parent company, Epic Games, filed a motion asking a federal judge to order its return as part of a civil contempt of court finding issued against Apple late last month. Last week, the game went dark on Apple devices the world over, and it remains unavailable on them in many countries.
In a brief statement filed in court late on Tuesday, Apple said the dispute that had been keeping Fortnite off its iOS software for the iPhone had been resolved. The Cupertino, California, company did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
The legal wrangling is all part of a bitter feud that is still boiling. Epic filed a lawsuit alleging Apple had turned its app store into an ******** monopoly – a claim that it lost under a 2021 ruling made by a federal judge after a month-long trial.
Although she decided Apple was not breaking antitrust laws, US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered the company to loosen control over in-app payments and allow links to other options that might offer lower prices.
After exhausting an appeal that went all the way to the US supreme court, Apple last year introduced a new system that opened the door for links to alternative payment options while still imposing a 27% commission on in-app transactions executed outside its own system.
Epic fired back by alleging Apple was thumbing its nose at the legal system, reviving another round of court hearings that lasted nearly a year before Gonzalez Rogers delivered her stinging rebuke that included a ban on collecting any kind of commission on alternative payment options.
skip past newsletter promotion
A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
That appeared to clear the way for Fortnite’s return to the iPhone and iPad, but Epic last week said the video game was still being blocked by Apple. After Apple contended that keeping Fortnite was still permissible while it pursues an appeal of Gonzalez Rogers’s contempt ruling, Epic forced the issue by asking the judge for another order that would make clear the video game should be allowed back on the iPhone and iPad.
Gonzalez Rogers on Monday asked why Apple was still blocking Fortnite without an order from the appeals court authorizing that action. She scheduled a 27 May hearing in Oakland, California, to hear Epic’s latest motion while noting “Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further briefing or a hearing.”
Source link
#Fortnite #returns #iPhone #app #store #exile #imposed #Apple #Technology
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
US House Republicans set pre-dawn votes to get Trump tax bill over finish line – Reuters
US House Republicans set pre-dawn votes to get Trump tax bill over finish line – Reuters
US House Republicans set pre-dawn votes to get Trump tax bill over finish line ReutersTrump tax bill heads to the House floor for a vote after last-minute changes CNBCTrump agenda bill clears critical hurdle as GOP leaders push ahead to full House vote CNNTrump’s ‘beautiful’ bill spans more than 1,000 pages. Here’s what’s inside it AP NewsCapitol agenda: Big changes for the ‘big, beautiful bill’ Politico
Source link
#House #Republicans #set #predawn #votes #Trump #tax #bill #finish #line #Reuters
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
‘Shakespeare would be writing for games today’: Cannes’ first video game Lili is a retelling of Macbeth | Games
‘Shakespeare would be writing for games today’: Cannes’ first video game Lili is a retelling of Macbeth | Games
The Cannes film festival isn’t typically associated with video games, but this year it’s playing host to an unusual collaboration. Lili is a co-production between the New York-based game studio iNK Stories (creator of 1979 Revolution: ****** Friday, about a photojournalist in Iran) and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it’s been turning heads with its eye-catching translocation of Macbeth to modern-day Iran.
“It’s been such an incredible coup to have it as the first video game experience at Cannes,” says iNK Stories co-founder Vassiliki Khonsari. “People have gone in saying, I’m not familiar playing games, so I may just try it out for five minutes. […] But then once they’re in, there is this growing sense of empowerment that people from the film world are feeling.”
The Cannes festival’s Immersive Competition began in 2024, although the lineup doesn’t usually feature traditional video games. “VR films and projection mapping is the thrust of it,” says iNK Stories’ other co-founder, Vassiliki’s husband Navid Khonsari. But Lili weaves live-action footage with video game mechanics in a similar way to a game such as Telling Lies or Immortality. Its lead, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, won best actress at Cannes three years ago.
Lili focuses on the story of Lady Macbeth, here cast as the ambitious wife of an upwardly mobile officer in the Basij (a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in Iran). As in the play, she plots a ******* to secure her husband’s rise. “I think that the narrative of Lady Macbeth is that she’s manipulative, and that’s exactly what got us interested,” says Navid.
“The social limitations based on her gender forced her to try to attain whatever leadership role she can,” he continues. “If she was a man, she would have been one of the greatest kings that country would have ever experienced, but because she was a woman she had to work within the structure that was there for her. And I think this is the same thing that we have with our Lili character: because of society, she’s limited to how high she can rise.”
The player is cast as a member of the Hecate Web, a group of hackers who stand in for Macbeth’s witches, and you begin by accessing Lili’s phone and computer, watching her on CCTV cameras inside her home. The oppression of surveillance and censorship is a key theme. At one point Lili tries to access a YouTube makeup tutorial, only to be blocked by the state’s firewall. The fact that the player takes on an uncomfortable voyeuristic role is intentional. “We’re all part of the problem when it comes to surveillance, when it comes to looking at each other, spying on each other,” says Navid.
‘She’s suffocating in the various layers of masks that she must put on’ … Zar Amir Ebrahimi in Lili. Photograph: Ellie Smith
You can bypass it to give her access, however, prompting a memorable scene in which she wraps her head in clingfilm before applying eyeliner and lipstick. “That is her ritual, applying makeup in a world that she cannot do that [in], without her husband knowing or anyone else knowing,” says Vassiliki. “We love it as this sort of allegory, that she’s suffocating in the world and in the various layers of masks that she must put on herself … our Lady Macbeth, our Lili, has an awakening, and all of those tools that we’ve used to hack her become tools that we actually give her to help her take the system down from within.”
Lili is scheduled for release in late 2026, and the RSC’s Sarah Ellis says that it might well be turned into a play at some point in the future. Navid says there are already plans for a film version, using some of the same footage shot for the game – a reminder that the boundaries between the worlds of gaming, movies and theatre are increasingly porous. This is unlikely to be the last time the RSC is involved in games.
“I was always interested in games, and the convergence of games and theatre in particular,” says Ellis, who originally approached iNK with the idea for this collaboration. “We’ve worked with some of the best Shakespeare scholars … Professor Emma Smith from Oxford has been an absolute keystone in the dramaturgy of this work,” says Ellis. Smith has said that if Shakespeare were alive today, he’d be writing for games, and Ellis agrees: “He was an innovator.”
Source link
#Shakespeare #writing #games #today #Cannes #video #game #Lili #retelling #Macbeth #Games
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Emerging Wallabies star says no to Japan riches
Emerging Wallabies star says no to Japan riches
Try-scoring machine Carlo Tizzano has resisted the riches of Japan to sign with Rugby Australia and the Western Force until the end of 2027.
Tizzano has been in hot demand in recent months on the back of his sensational Super Rugby Pacific form, with the back rower scoring 12 tries so far this season – three more than his closest rival.
The 25-year-old, who has made five appearances for the Wallabies and is considered a rising star, was reportedly being heavily chased by cashed-up teams in Japan.
But the chance to wear the Wallaby gold against the British and Irish Lions later this year and appear in a 2027 home Rugby World Cup convinced him to stay.
“I’m really excited to be staying in *********** rugby for two more years, especially in Perth with the Force,” Tizzano said in a statement.
“I couldn’t see myself playing for any other Super Rugby franchise.
“To help contribute to this Force team earning more wins and reaching semi-finals is something I’m really excited for.
“I’m looking forward to earning more opportunities with the Wallabies.
“It’s an exciting time in *********** rugby now with the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour and the home World Cup in 2027, which were two big factors.”
Force coach Simon Cron was excited to retain the services of Tizzano.
“Seeing him continue to grow his game and develop has really enthused us and when Carlo became a Wallaby, it was a huge highlight for a number of people within the organisation,” Cron said.
The Wallabies are now blessed for depth in the back row, with the likes of Tizzano, the returning Pete Samu, Harry Wilson, Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight among the many options.
Tizzano will return from a pectoral injury for the Force’s clash with the Waratahs in Perth on Saturday night.
The ninth-placed Force are already out of the finals race, while the eighth-placed Waratahs need to win their final two games and rely on other results to go their way in order to sneak in.
Source link
#Emerging #Wallabies #star #Japan #riches
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
HMRC begins escape from Fujitsu’s grip through £500m contract
HMRC begins escape from Fujitsu’s grip through £500m contract
HMRC has begun the process of breaking away from its heavy reliance on Fujitsu for IT services, with a tender worth £500m designed to exit the supplier’s services.
In the clearest sign that HMRC is ready to break away from Fujitsu amid public pressure in relation to the Post Office scandal, it’s looking for a supplier for a 10-year Data Centre Exit (DCE) contract, which will begin in April next year. The loss of the work combined with the end of its Post Office contract will have huge ramifications on Fujitsu’s *** business.
HMRC wants a hyperscale cloud provider to manage the migration from the supplier followed by the provision of cloud hosting. According to the tender, published last month: “The primary objective of the DCE Programme is to exit three Fujitsu-hosted datacentres and migrate associated services to new destination platforms.”
The supplier that wins the HMRC contract will move IT services from Fujitsu’s datacentres to the cloud and then provide cloud hosting, according to the tender. “Following migration, the selected supplier will provide cloud hosting capabilities for in-scope services in a secure cloud environment to ensure continuity of services,” reads the tender notice. “The supplier will be required to provide a platform capable of sustaining business change, as well as mitigating current security and resilience concerns.”
It was Fujitsu’s software and errors that caused the unexplained shortfalls in Post Office branches that devastated the lives of those blamed. Fujitsu stood aside as the Post Office wrongly blamed its subpostmasters, despite its knowledge of errors.
The *** government sector is a huge business for Fujitsu, with HMRC the biggest single component of this. But since Fujitsu’s involvement in the Post Office scandal, its activities have become mainstream public interest news, and the government has been under severe public and political pressure to cut ties with it.
HMRC is described as Fujitsu’s *** public sector “cash cow”, with huge contracts involved. The supplier has already landed £123m of taxpayer money from the department this year, as part of its contracts worth billions of pounds. According to the latest HMRC spending figures, which include all contracts worth over £25,000, in March this year alone, the department spent £80m with Fujitsu. Other HMRC spending with Fujitsu in March included about £4.9m for other IT hardware, £4.9m for physical hosting and infrastructure, £4.6m for IT software licenses and support, and £1.7m for desktop services.
Post Office contract
Fujitsu has also been dumped from its lucrative-but-controversial contract with the government-owned Post Office, and its contract finally ends in March next year.
Peer James Arbuthnot, a long-time campaigner for justice for subpostmasters, told Computer Weekly the government should stop handing Fujitsu lucrative contracts.
“Let’s not forget it was Fujitsu that was altering the subpostmasters’ accounts remotely, while denying it was doing it and not keeping a record of what they were doing,” he said. “It was Fujitsu that, knowing of the bugs and faults in their software, were swearing on oath in court that those bugs and faults did not exist. And it was Fujitsu that then watched the subpostmasters be convicted as a result of Fujitsu’s lies, and stood back as thousands of lives were ruined.”
Fujitsu has finally agreed to negotiate its contribution towards the huge costs of the scandal. In March, the government announced there was an agreement to begin talks on compensation. Fujitsu has previously stated it would wait until the public inquiry’s conclusion before committing to talks. The public inquiry has finished its public hearings and there is no date for the publication of the report from chair Wynn Williams.
Computer Weekly first exposed the scandal in 2009, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffered due to Horizon accounting software, which led to the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history (see below timeline of Computer Weekly articles about the scandal since 2009).
Source link
#HMRC #begins #escape #Fujitsus #grip #500m #contract
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
